Investigative ophthalmology & visual science
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Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. · Jan 2007
Comparative StudyComparative effects of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug nepafenac on corneal sensory nerve fibers responding to chemical irritation.
To compare the corneal analgesic efficacy of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) nepafenac, diclofenac, and ketorolac, and to evaluate the possibility that their inhibitory effects on corneal polymodal nociceptor fiber activity are partly mediated by a decrease in sodium currents. ⋯ The inhibition of polymodal nociceptor activity by nepafenac, a weak inhibitor of cyclooxygenase, is most likely due to its greater lipophilicity compared with diclofenac and ketorolac, leading to a rapid saturation of the corneal epithelium where nociceptor terminals are located. In contrast to diclofenac, nepafenac does not exhibit local anesthetic effects.